Tom Yum Goong - Tony Jaa's follow up to Ong-Bak

We've all seen Ong-Bak. We've marveled at Tony Jaa's seemingly supernatural athletic skills, the bone-crunching action scenes, the annoying replays from several different angles, the lack of plot, and that one girl who screeched non-stop like nails on a chalkboard. We've read claims saying Ong-Bak was the second coming, that Tony Jaa is, by far, the next big thing to come out of action movies and, more specifically, martial arts. We've also read suggestions that cited while Ong-Bak did sport innovative and amazing action scenes, that it felt more like a highlight reel than an actual movie.

Well, I've good good news and bad for those of you anticipating Tom Yum Goong, Tony Jaa's follow-up to Ong-Bak. The good news is that the replays are gone. And the screeching girl is nowhere to be seen. The bad? There's still no plot.

But you know what? This is, by far, the best action movie I've seen since Ong-Bak, and I don't think anything will challenge it for a really, really long time. Simply put: Tom Yum Goong might be one of the best pure action movies I've ever seen.

VERY MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW.

I won't even bother going in-depth into the plot, because, as I've said, it takes a back seat, much like it did in Ong-Bak. Basically what it boils down to is Tony Jaa's elephants are stolen, and he gets angry and kicks several asses along the way. That's all you really need to know.

Tom Yum Goong one-ups Ong-Bak in just about every conceivable way. The choreography in the movie is much more complex than in Ong-Bak. Tony Jaa faces a multitude of opponents in the movie with different fighting styles. For once, a movie has been able to showcase Capoeira and not make it look like more of a dance than a fighting style. Jaa also goes up against Nathan Jones, formerly of the WWE, who also happens to be about twice his size. One scene toward the end of the movie finds Jaa carving through a room full of dozens upon dozens of men, disposing of them each in a different way. Needless to say, there's plenty of action, and all of it delivers.

The brutality is still there. Many bones break. Jaa still connects with several of his opponents.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Tom Yum Goong is what happens behind the camera. The director is the same one who helmed Ong-Bak. He showed hints of style in Ong-Bak, but he truly comes into his own in Tom Yum Goong. There's one scene in particular that finds Jaa entering a building with several floors and a long, continuous spiraling staircase separating the floors. We follow behind Jaa as he makes his way up the stairs and dispatches of dozens of foes along the way. I'm sure camera tricks were involved, but as far as I could tell, this scene goes on uncut for 2-3 minutes, similar to the infamous shootout in Hard Boiled (which supposedly does contain a cut; it's still impressive, nonetheless). This is one of the best scenes I've seen in an action movie ever. Period. The amount of choreography that went into this scene, and to have it go continuously as Jaa makes his way up several flights of stairs, is remarkable. The director takes a very stylistic approach, one that separates Tom Yum Goong from just another martial arts movie.

Tom Yum Goong won't win any awards for plot and acting. If that's what you're after, don't even bother watching it. But if you're in the mood for an incredible action movie with hard-hitting fight scenes, you will absolutely love this movie. I guarantee it.

Highly recommended for action movie fans. Just leave your brain at the door first.